Don Hale Blog

*(Above) Ladies race winner and half-marathon record breaker Carla Green. Carla Green was 1st Lady and smashed North Wales record at Rhyl half marathon. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Mike Smith.   North Wales Road Runner Carla Green was the first female finisher at the Rhyl half-marathon last Saturday and celebrated her return from injury by smashing her age category record over this distance.  Carla set a new NWRAC ‘all-time best’ record by completing the sun-drenched and breezy course in just 1 hour 28 minutes and knocked a minute and a half off an impressive record that had stood for more than ten-years! This popular event attracted over 250 quality athletes and the ultra-flat promenade route encouraged everyone who was intent on claiming new personal best times.  The race was eventually won by local athlete J ames Yarwood  (Abergele Harriers) in 1.13.52, with  Daniel Hopwood  2nd in 1.15.41, and  Carl Aveyard  (Shrewsbury AC) 3rd in 1.17.52. *Male and female race winners (*above) C

Third place and a superb new PB for Steve Bozier (*above) at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos Steve Jeffery.   Steve Bozier claimed a new personal best time at last Saturday’s Conwy parkrun, which this week was completed in bright sunshine in stark contrast to recent events. The NWRRC member finished 3rd overall and he was 2nd in his MV40-44 age cat in 19 minutes and 10 seconds. Steve led home seven other team-mates, with six recording age cat podium places including three outright wins! Steve Mason  (*pictured above) was another runner in top-form, and he finished shortly behind Steve in 4th place overall but won his MV45-49 cat in 19.38, with  Harry Driscoll  going well again in 11th spot and finishing 1st in his SM20-24 cat in 20.50.  Gethin Wyn Jones  (*pictured above) was back to his best in 16th place and was 2nd in his MV35-39 cat in 21.23, with  Jamie Tharme  in 27th place in 22.54, and  Josh Keogh  finished 30th and 3rd in his SM30-34 cat in 23.23.  *Jamie Tharme (*pi

Road Runners struck Welsh Gold at Sportcity indoor championships in Manchester. *The dynamic NWRRC duo Don Hale (left) with Pat Finnie at Sportcity. Veteran runners Pat Finnie and Don Hale swapped the great outdoors for the magnificent indoors last Saturday and struck gold at Sportcity during the North Wales Regional Championships. The two NWRRC athletes ran for the very first time on the superb and steeply banked indoor track in Manchester, which is often used for World, International, or for other national running finals. The meeting on Saturday had to be re-arranged due to fixture clashes yet it still attracted a host of top elite performers backed by a large vocal and enthusiastic support group from across the UK. In addition to recording massive PBs, both Welsh runners also collected prestigious gold medals for winning their respective age categories and time trials in the 200m and 600m track races, which has now propelled them into the top Welsh rankings over these distances. And

*Top North Wales husband and wife athletes Martin and Carla Green. Dynamic Duo Martin and Carla Green starred at the Manchester Marathon last Sunday. Report by Don Hale.   North Wales athletes Martin and Carla Green both celebrated excellent performances in the Manchester Marathon last Sunday with Martin finishing 13th in the elite men’s race, and won his age category, whilst Carla claimed a great new PB over this distance and was 3rd place in her age category. The dynamic husband and wife duo had been training hard for this event and obviously it all paid off with two outstanding runs in this challenging race on an undulating course. Martin (*pictured above)  was one of thirty-five elite athletes who were followed by a mass entry, and he certainly proved his pedigree once again, competing well throughout the event to finally finish in 13th place overall, but he won his MV45 age cat with a superb chip time of just 2 hours 30 minutes and 43 seconds. The elite race was eventually won by 

*Jonathan Kettle recorded a great new PB at Rhyl FAST TIMES AND AGE CATEGORY WINS AT MARSH TRACKS 5K AT RHYL Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery.   Six members of North Wales Road Runners travelled to Rhyl last Saturday to compete in the second Welsh Athletics fixture of a series of 5k races on closed road circuits, with two male athletes claiming age category wins, and the four others finishing second in their respective categories. Held on the go-cart and cycling course at the Marsh Tracks, the event gave many athletes their first taste of live race action for about 15-months and provided a fast, flat, but twisting course in warm and humid conditions. * Ben Hudson (pictured above) with Jonathan Kettle (below) Jonathan Kettle  was the pick of the NWRRC team with a new personal best time of 16 minutes 30 seconds for 3rd place and he was 1st M45 cat winner in this high-quality field of top local runners. He was pleased with a great showing, but later admitted: ‘ Pain, pain,

*Course PB times for  both  Mandy and Charlie Owen in the heat at Southport half-marathon (*Pictured above) Incredible 11-minute PB for Mandy Report by Don Hale   Five determined athletes from North Wales Road Runners braved extreme temperatures and made another border crossing to the seaside town of Southport last Sunday to compete in the half-marathon. Staged in very hot and humid weather, this popular event attracted 1083 finishers for the half-marathon race, and nearly 400 more for the 10k dash, yet despite the heat, two NWRRC athletes still celebrated course PB times. Stuart Culverhouse  was the first club man home in 127th place in a superb time of 1 hour 34 minutes and 37 seconds,’ but afterwards Stuart admitted: ‘I really struggled out there today in the humid conditions.’                                    *Stuart Culverhouse Kelly-Marie Alford  continued her return to form in 614th position overall in 2.02.17. She was also affected by the heat and humidity and explained: ‘It